Maduro Captured in Daring US Raid, Faces Narco-Terrorism Charges in New York
NEW YORK — In an unprecedented military operation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. forces in Caracas and transported to New York to face serious criminal charges, marking a dramatic escalation in a long-running confrontation.
The raid, which involved elite Delta Force soldiers and over 150 aircraft, culminated in the couple being taken from their bedroom in the presidential compound and flown to the United States aboard the USS Iwo Jima. They are now detained in New York, with Maduro’s first court appearance scheduled for Monday.
The Nighttime Raid: A “Television Show” for Trump
The operation, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” was months in the making and executed with precision in the early hours of January 3rd. U.S. helicopters, flying just 100 feet above the water, reached Maduro’s compound in Caracas around 2 a.m. local time. After coming under fire—which left one helicopter damaged and several U.S. troops wounded—the extraction force successfully secured Maduro and Flores.
President Donald Trump watched the events unfold in real-time from a situation room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, later describing it as “like I was watching a television show”. He stated the United States would now “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period to facilitate a transition of power, explicitly eyeing control over the country’s vast oil reserves as “reimbursement for the damages”.
The Charges: State-Sponsored Drug Trafficking and Violence
The newly unsealed indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York lays out a sweeping case. It alleges Maduro and his inner circle, for over two decades, corrupted Venezuela’s institutions to partner with violent drug cartels and flood the United States with cocaine.
The four core charges against Maduro are:
· Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy
· Cocaine Importation Conspiracy
· Possession of Machine Guns and Destructive Devices
· Conspiracy to Possess Machine Guns and Destructive Devices
U.S. prosecutors accuse Maduro of providing “law enforcement cover and logistical support” to groups like Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The indictment claims this allowed up to 250 tons of cocaine to move through Venezuela annually by 2020, with profits flowing to high-ranking officials. It also accuses Maduro and Flores of ordering kidnappings, beatings, and murders to protect their alleged drug operation.
Cilia Flores: The “First Combatant” and Co-Defendant
Central to the case is Cilia Flores, 69, who faces identical charges. Far more than a first lady, Flores is a powerful political operator in her own right. A lawyer who once defended the late President Hugo Chávez, she led Venezuela’s National Assembly and is considered a key architect of Maduro’s political survival.
Specific allegations against Flores include:
· Accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between a major drug trafficker and the director of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office.
· Being at the center of the “narco nephews” scandal, in which two of her nephews were convicted in a U.S. court in 2017 for conspiring to smuggle 800 kilograms of cocaine.
Flores has long been sanctioned by the U.S. and dismissed past allegations as politically motivated attacks.
Global Reaction: Condemnation, Concern, and Applause
The raid has sharply divided the international community:
· Venezuela & Allies: Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, demanded the couple’s “immediate release,” calling the operation a “savagely attack”. Russia condemned it as an “act of armed aggression,” while Iran said it violated the UN Charter.
· Latin America: Reactions were mixed, with Cuba’s leader slamming the “criminal” attack, while Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei cheered, “Freedom advances!”.
· U.S. Allies: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for any solution to “respect international law,” and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to “establish the facts”.
Within the U.S., the operation sparked immediate political debate. Republican lawmakers largely applauded the move, while Democratic members of Congress criticized the administration for not seeking authorization and accused officials of misleading them about the goal of regime change.
An Uncertain Future for Venezuela
The capture of Maduro has created a power vacuum with no clear path forward. The Venezuelan constitution stipulates that power passes to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who has defiantly asserted that Maduro remains “the only president”. Trump administration officials have suggested they are willing to work with her.
Opposition figures, including activist María Corina Machado, have called for the installation of 2024 presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. However, Trump has declined to endorse any specific successor, instead focusing on a vague plan for the U.S. to oversee the country’s governance and its oil infrastructure for an indefinite period.
Analysts warn that removing Maduro does not automatically resolve Venezuela’s profound economic crisis, determine the military’s loyalty, or dismantle the powerful drug trafficking networks operating in the region. The coming days will test whether the startling display of American power leads to stability or deeper chaos in a nation of 31 million people.
U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Military Raid; Faces Charges in New York
